Disguised Beauty
by Demon's heart and angel's face
Summary: Gaara is a person who has to hide who they are. Gaara acts like a boy but in reality... she's a girl. Her dad forces her to act this way but will she be able to triumph over him? And can Neji help her? *Discontinued* Sorry, I lost my muse. Please adopt!
1. Chapter 1

**Disguised Beauty**

**Chapter One: Gaara's POV**

**Have you ever had to pretend you're something you're not? Deceive everyone around you even though it hurts you? I do this every day. My name is Gaara Sabuku and I'm a girl but my father makes me pretend to be a boy. Everyone in school sees me as a boy and treats me as such. My older brother and sister are the only people who acknowledge I'm a girl but they can only do it in private for fear my father will beat me. Let me put in context for you. My father hates me for being born because not only am I a girl when he wanted a boy, but my mother died giving birth to me. My older brother helps me out in school and my older sister helps me when it comes to female problems. I go to a school called Konoha High School. I hate every day there and the only way I survive is by acting emo. I'm not really that way, in fact I like to talk but it's the only way I can get people to not notice. My voice is kind of deep for a girl so it's easy to assume I'm a guy if I don't talk much. Well, I'm going to lead through a day in my life right now so you get to see the lovely hell I go through every day. It'll be fun! *Can't you hear the sarcasm?* **

**~*~*~Meet you, Hold you, Kiss you, Love you~*~*~**

**Gaara woke up at 6 in the morning and quickly made her bed. Her dad wanted everything immaculate, especially with her. She grabbed some clothes and took a 5 minute shower. Fortunately, she doesn't have her period for another week so she doesn't need to carry tampons right now. She puts on a sports bra and then wraps saran wrap around it a couple dozen times to make it look like she has no breasts. Then, she puts on a baggy t-shirt that says Kill Hannah on it. It's a concert shirt her brother gave her. She throws on some black jeans that are a little loose since they were Kankuro's but she solves that problem by putting on a black studded belt. She puts a baggy black sweater on top of it all and then leaves. It's now 6:30 and she runs to the bus stop that comes at 6:45 that is one block over. Temari is 2 years older than Gaara while Kankuro is 3 years older. Since she's a freshman, that means Temari is a sophomore and Kankuro is a junior. They have a car though so they usually wait for her at the school bus stop at the school. Gaara got on the bus as soon as it got there sat in the very front where few people sat. Everyone usually sat in the back because it was 'cool' but Gaara didn't care about that and it was easier to get off by being in the front. **

**Gaara pulled out her mp3 player (yes, mp3 because iPods suck and old fashion is cool) and started by listening to Evanescence playing 'Bring Me To Life' while waiting for the bus to arrive at the school. When they finally arrived, she was listening to Kill Hannah playing 'Lips Like Morphine'. She was the first to get off and looked around for her siblings. When she saw them sitting on a bench waving at her, she let the first small smile of the day pass her lips before it quickly disappeared. Unfortunately, it didn't go unnoticed by the resident loudmouth, Naruto Uzumaki. **

**"Gaara Sabuku smiled! The world is coming to an end! What are we going to do?" All the while, he's shaking Sasuke Uchiha, his best friend and pointing at Gaara. Gaara shows no emotion on her face but she panics inside and walks a little quicker (unnoticeably) to her siblings. Then, Kankuro and Temari glared at Naruto who immediately hid behind his other friend, Neji Hyuuga. Neji just watches Gaara as 'he' walks away with Temari and Kankuro on either side of 'him'. **

**~*~*~Meet you, Hold you, Kiss you, Love you~*~*~**

**Neji's POV**

**"Man, can you believe Gaara actually smiled? I swear the world is doomed! That guy is just creepy, anyways." Naruto still hadn't let that go, even when the older Sabuku siblings threatened him. **

**"Shut up, Dobe. He is human you know. Maybe he just doesn't want anyone to get into his business." Sasuke was the only one, other than Hinata, who could control Naruto. The only reason for this is because they grew up together and Sasuke has adapted to Naruto's weirdness and figured the way to control him. **

**"Yeah! Did you know everyone thinks that he's gay? I saw him once at that café on No. 6 Street and he was talking up a storm! You'd never think that he talks so much. He even laughed! I thought the sky was falling. But you know, when you really get a look at him, he's got a girly look and stuff. He's also really pretty! Prettier than some girls I've seen." Sakura loves gossip so when she gets started, only Lee can get her to stop. Of course, he's also hard to stop when he starts ranting about the joys of youth. God, was that annoying. **

**"Anyway, change of subject. We should head in. The bell is going to ring soon and if you guys want to talk about him so much, Gaara is in Naruto, Sasuke and my homeroom and first period. I'm sure Naruto will fill the rest of you in on whatever Gaara is doing. See you guys at lunch." Neji quickly grabbed Naruto and Sasuke's hand after they kissed their girlfriends. Hinata blushed big time and Ino just tried to hold onto Sasuke as he was being pulled away. Lee and Sakura just watched with amused expressions. Neji pulled on Sasuke harder and then dragged them into the Homeroom classroom. Their teacher was Iruka Umino and preferred to be called Iruka-san instead of sensei. He was Naruto's adoptive along with his boyfriend Kakashi-sensei. How someone so kind and caring could end up with that pervert, I'll never know. When we got to the classroom, Gaara is sitting in the far back corner reading a book. It was a manga called The One Day of Revolution. I know that book; it only has about 2 volumes out right now. Anyway, he seems to be oblivious to the rest of the class and vice versa. Naruto is already heading to sit next to Gaara. I turn to look at Sasuke with a raised eyebrow but he's just shaking his head and following after Naruto. Naruto sits directly in front of Gaara. He looks at Sasuke and then the seat next to him. He looks at me and looks at the seat next to Gaara. We both get the hint, although neither of us are happy about it. Naruto turns around in his seat to look at Gaara. **

**"Did you know that that book only has three in its series? They're all pretty good. Have you read them all?" Gaara just looks at Naruto with a blank stare and then looks back to his book. I notice the dark circles around his eyes are very nicely done, like he's an expert at doing it or maybe his sister does it for him. Then, I notice the tattoo on his forehead. I never noticed it before because his hair always covered it and considering his tattoo and his hair are the same shade of red, it's understandable. **

**"Nice tattoo. Is that Ai in kanji?" This time, Gaara looks at me and I notice how beautiful his eyes are. I also notice a glimpse of something pass through his eyes before it disappears. Was that surprise and… happiness? Well, it's gone now and he's just staring at me with a black stare.**

**"I noticed because I have Ai written on my left hip only the color is black. It looks pretty cool with your hair as the same color." This time, I know I see happiness and surprise but it seems he can't dismiss it so easily this time. **

**"… Yeah. My brother has some friends at a tattoo parlor and they did it for free." Naruto and Sasuke looked surprised that he actually answered while I just couldn't get over how gorgeous his voice was. It had the allure of a woman but sounded a little deep for a woman. But that could also be explained that he was male. The real problem, though, was that I knew I was straight. Then why was I being turned on by a guy! **

**"That's cool. Sasuke here has a tattoo of three comma-like dots on the back of his neck while Naruto has this whole tribal looking thing on his stomach. It looks pretty awesome, actually. We all got ours done at a place called 'Bleeding Razors' by a guy named Sakon. Actually, I could never tell if I was speaking to Sakon or his twin Ukon." Gaara chuckled. He CHUCKLED. Houston, I have made progress!**

**"Yeah, I know the place because that's where my brother's friend works. Actually, they're pretty much all his friends because he used to work there in the summer. You can only tell the apart by their hands. Ukon favors his left hand and writes with it. He still uses his right, though, for the tattoos and stuff. Sakon favors his right hand which he uses for pretty much everything. And Ukon usually has his hair parted a little more to the left while Sakon does the opposite." I almost burst out laughing with the shear look of shock on Naruto's and Sasuke's faces. I don't think I've ever heard Gaara talk so much. Actually, I've never seen him talk. Even the teachers don't call on him. **

**"Well, in P.E., we'll show you ours. Sasuke's the only one who can show it without getting uncomfortable and Naruto is just a sissy." **

**"Hey! I resent that! I am not a sissy! I just don't want everyone staring at my hot bod."**

**Gaara and I both chuckled this time while Sasuke did the whole 'shaking head' thing. Then, a mysterious thing happened. Gaara did two things I've never seen him do. He made a joke and said someone's name.**

**"Naruto, looking at how baggy your clothes are, I doubt anyone will think you've got or ever had a gorgeous bod." I couldn't help but bust up laughing and Sasuke was too. He was actually trying to stop himself from falling out of his chair while Naruto's jaw had dropped so low, I didn't think it was actually possible. I watched Gaara and I noticed he had a small quirk of the lips like he wanted to smile but was holding himself back. **

**"Hey Gaara, why don't you and your siblings eat lunch with us," Gaara looked shocked and for some reason, apprehensive, "I bet everyone would like to meet you and you're actually a pretty cool guy. Besides, everyone would want to hear what you said to Naruto. It's a lot of fun to ridicule him. So, what do you say?" Gaara seemed like he wasn't sure. He wanted to but was uncertain. Finally, he said he'd ask his siblings. Iruka-san came in and class started right after that. It was only homeroom so it only lasted 30 minutes. The next class was English and we had to write 3 poems about our life. They didn't necessarily have to rhyme since they were freestyle. Naruto wrote poems were about Hinata, ramen, and friendship and they were haikus so they were short and simple. Sasuke's were weird. One was about Sakura. You could tell because it mentioned cherry blossoms several dozen times. His other 2 were haikus about honor and pride. The Uchiha pride, to be exact. My poems were not that good. I'm terrible at writing poetry so I did some simple stuff. One was about a missing my dad. Another was a haiku about having the courage to cry and say why. The last one was a haiku and my favorite. I'll never admit it but I've liked Gaara a long time and it's about him. Here it is:**

'**Sometimes I feel like crying,**

**Laying down and dying,**

**That's when I need you.'**

**Gaara's poems, though, were so far about our level it wasn't even funny. His were deep and emotional. **

'**Salvation**

**Will salvation ever come?**

**Have I been so wrong to be forgotten?**

**Will salvation every com?**

**Or will I remain forever lost?**

**Will I lose until there's nothing left?**

**Will salvation ever come?'**

'**Candles flicker**

**The light wavers**

**People say, "Don't go into the light"**

**What if you world is dark?**

**What if you need the light?**

**Stay, Light**

**Please I need you**

**Kami-sama, grant me this light**

**In my life of darkness**

**Don't let the candles flicker**

**Don't let the light fade…**

**Please.'**

**That's just two of them but the last one was kind of a haiku. It's kind of sad and angry. It goes, "I hope you CHOKE on every word you SPOKE when you were SCREAMING at me." Weird, huh? After Gaara finished, everyone was stunned. No one spoke or ever moved. Iruka-san recovered first and thanked Gaara. Gaara nodded and walked to the back of the class with a blank stare. I swear, though, that I could see fear and hurt in his eyes. Why would he be afraid and why is he hurt?**

**"Gaara," I talk to him when his sits down, "your poems were awesome. Better than anyone's in the class. Do you have more? May I read them?" Gaara looks at me in surprise but lets a small smile touch her lips and nods shyly. I smile beamingly and go back to my work. When class ends, I tell Gaara we'll meet him at the cafeteria doors. He just nods and walks toward his siblings who are by his locker down the hall. Naruto and Sasuke head to their next class with Hinata and Ino. Since my next class in with Sakura, Lee and Shikamaru, I go in the opposite direction. I tell the others that we're having Gaara sit with us and Sakura and Lee just stare at me while Shikamaru mutters 'troublesome' and lays his head on his desk to sleep. **

**~*~*~Meet you, Hold you, Kiss you, Love you~*~*~**

**Gaara's POV**

**I can't believe I actually talked to Neji and his friends. Okay, truth is I'm in love with Neji but I've never told ANYONE that. Not even Temari or Kankuro. Since I can't have long hair, I've always thought his was pretty and wanted to touch it. Not to mention he's nice to just about everyone and considerate. He gets straight A's but he never acts stuck-up or brags about it. And he has the prettiest eyes I've ever seen. Naruto and Sasuke are cute too but not as cute as him. He was even sweet enough to tell me he liked my poems when I thought no one liked them. I'm so excited he asked me to sit by them but I really hope none of them figure me out. That would be disastrous. As I open my locker, Temari and Kankuro share a concerned glance when they think I'm not looking. **

**"Would you guys mind sitting with Neji and his friends at lunch? They asked me if we wanted to sit by them." I looked at both of them uncertainly as I closed my locker after having gotten the books I needed out. They share another concerned glance and I'm afraid they are going to say no when Temari asks, "Are you sure, Gaara? You don't think it's dangerous?" I think for a minute before shaking my head no. **

**"I talked to them in first period a bit and they're very nice. If they noticed something, they didn't show any signs of it. Besides, they all treated me like a boy so it should be fine." Temari smiles and Kankuro puts his arm around my shoulders as they lead me to the classes we have together. We just have 2 more classes before lunch. I can't wait.**

Author's Note: Hey guys, I hope you all liked it! This is my new story and I think it's better than any of my past works. As you can see, it's a Neji and Gaara story. I just love Gaara as a female, don't you? Now remember, I don't mind criticism but any flames will be eaten by my cute pet dragon, Wufei! Oh, and please read and review! Arigato! Ja ne!


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Gaara's POV**

**When lunch arrives, I give my siblings a look and then walk very quickly out the classroom door. I know Temari and Kankuro are following me quickly because they'll lose me if they don't. When we reach the cafeteria door, Neji is already there with the Sasuke and Naruto. When Neji sees me, he smiles and waves to me, "Hey, wasn't sure if you were coming. I'm glad you did. My table is this way, come on." Neji led the rest of us to the table where several other people were sitting. Sasuke sat by this pink-haired girl and Naruto sat down next to a girl who had the same kind of eyes Neji had. Neji began introducing us. **

**"Guys, this is Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro. Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro, these are Choji," he pointed at a chubby boy with swirls on his cheeks, "Ino," a long haired blonde girl with light blue eyes, "Shikamaru," a boy with his head in his arms apparently asleep with his hair pulled into a high ponytail, "Sakura and Hinata," he first pointed at the pink haired girl and then the one resembling himself. "Kiba, Shino, Tenten, and Lee aren't here yet but I'll introduce you to them later. Go ahead and sit where you want." I sat down at the end next to Naruto and Temari sat next to Shikamaru who actually lifted his head and smiled a bit at her. Kankuro sat across from me and Neji sat on my other side on the edge of the bench. Naruto, Hinata, and I had to move over a bit for him. I looked nervously at Temari and Kankuro but they both just smiled at me reassuringly. **

**"So, Gaara, your poems were really intense earlier. Are you an artist or a poet?" Sasuke seemed truly interested and I was surprised since he didn't seem like someone who would be. I gave a slight smile, trying not to seem to happy or girly about it and said, "Um, yeah I actually draw a bit. I like to read a lot and write. What about you?" Naruto busted up laughing, "Are you serious? Sasu-teme couldn't write anything even if his life depended on it. Didn't you hear his horrible Haikus earlier?" Sasuke threw some water Naruto's way who easily avoided it but I wasn't so quick. I ended up the one being drenched. It was not good at all. Neji stared at my chest for a minute while everyone was trying to help me. Kankuro saw Neji's eyes and then noticed how my shirt was showing my slight bump of a chest. Oh shit. Kankuro looked at me and then quickly stood saying, "Um, I'm just going to take Gaara to the bathroom to help him dry up. We'll be right back." He grabbed my hand and we ran out of there. Oh shit, what if Neji found out? I'm so screwed. As soon as Kankuro got to the bathroom, I went into one of the stalls and started crying as quietly as I could. Kankuro just stood outside and tried to sooth me with some words of reassurance. But I knew he was just as scared as I was about what could happen if Neji found out and said anything. **

**~*~*~Meet you, Hold you, Kiss you, Love you~*~*~**

**Neji's POV**

**When the water landed on Gaara, I couldn't help staring at his chest. Or was it a she? He had a slight bump to his chest that didn't seem very boyish at all. In fact, it looked like they were breasts. I was happy for a minute because then it meant I wasn't gay and I could actually ask Gaara out. Then, I wondered why she was acting and dressing like a boy. I realized she must be a girl. After listening to her voice, seeing her face and seeing her curves when she ran off with Kankuro. I quickly excused myself to go after them but before I could enter the male's bathroom, someone pushed me into the wall. I looked to see Temari angry but was that a hint of… fear in her eyes? **

**"I'm warning you, Hyuuga. Don't bother asking anything. I know you noticed Gaara is a girl but this is something you should not bother with. If you tell anyone what you saw, though, Kankuro and I will both kick your ass. You have no idea what she has been through or what she **_**WILL**_** go through if you say anything. Do you understand?" Neji nodded but wouldn't let this go. He was determined to find out and keep the secret, "Temari, I swear on my life that I will not say anything. Not to anyone, not even my friends. Please trust me. For some reason, I really like Gaara and even if she was a guy, I was going to ask her out. I don't want Gaara to get hurt but please trust me. You will not be disappointed." Temari stared at me for a good minute, assessing whether or not she should trust me. Finally, she sight and nodded, "But the threat still sticks, Hyuuga. If you in any way misplace our trust in you, you will be in a world of pain and suffering. I will not let anything hurt my baby sister again." With that, she walked into the bathroom with me tailing behind her.**

**When we entered, Kankuro stopped talking and glared at me and Temari. "What's he doing here, Tem?" Temari just shook her head and gave a signal for explaining later. I mouthed 'where is Gaara' and Kankuro just pointed to the stall door he was standing next to. I walked over to it and heard slight sniffling behind it. I knocked lightly and went in. Gaara's head snapped up from resting on her raised knees and I saw then a look on her face I hoped to never see again. She had a look of fear and vulnerability on her face. Her body also seemed to be shaking not to mention the tears running from her eyes. I quickly kneeled in front of her but she shrank closer to the back of the stall and wrapped her arms tighter around her legs. **

**I slowed down and made no sudden movements for fear of scaring her. "Gaara, I know you're a girl but that does not change my feelings for you. The moment I started talking to you, I felt an attraction to you. Even if you were a guy, I was going to ask you out. I promise, though, not to tell your secret to anyone. Not even my family or friends. I promise on my life. The last thing I want is for you to ever get hurt. Temari didn't tell me anything except you could get hurt if this gets out. I swear to you, though, that you can trust me." Gaara just stared at me, and I could see in her eyes she was uncertain about believing me but then something resembling relief entered her eyes and she threw herself at me. I hugged her tight and kissed the top of her head. All I heard her murmuring was things like 'Thank you' over and over again. After a while, even after the bell rang, I noticed Gaara had fallen asleep and lifted her up bridal style. I left the stall only to realize that Kankuro and Temari had left. I also noticed Gaara's and my backpacks under one of the sinks. I sat Gaara on one of the counters surrounding the sinks and wet a paper towel. I then wiped away the tear marks and cleaned her face to make it look like she hadn't cried. After that, I just watched her for a bit. Her face looked so peaceful in sleep and she looked so beautiful. I leaned forward and gently, like a feather's caress, pressed my lips against hers. Her eyes fluttered for a minute before staring straight into mine. After a minute, she kissed back and closed her eyes before shyly pulling away. I chuckled at her cute blush and then picked her up and stood her on her feet. Her blush deepened and she muttered a thank you. I waved it off and then we headed outside for it was after school already. Kankuro and Temari were sitting at a bench and smiled when they saw us. The buses had just left and since Gaara had missed hers, I volunteered to drive her home. They thanked me but warned me to drop her off at the school bus stop. She wasn't allowed to have friends.**

**I frowned at this but agreed. It was silence while driving her home but when we reached the bus stop, it had just left so we were good. When I stopped, I leaned over and kissed her gently before saying good-bye and telling her I would meet her at the bench the next day. She blushed again and muttered a quick agreement and then good bye. She quickly left and walked down the street to her house. When she disappeared around the corner, I headed home, smiling all the way. **

Author's Note: Okay, If you don't like this pairing DON'T READ! You don't have to leave mean reviews. If you don't like Gaara as a girl DON'T READ! Hope everyone else enjoys. Later, all!


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Gaara's POV**

**When I walked into the house, I tried to be as quiet as I could. My father's car was in the drive-way so I knew he was home. If I was lucky, though, he would not notice me. As I reached the stairs, the door next to the slammed open and out walked my father. His eyes looked red and blood-shot which meant something bad happened today and he was drinking. When his eyes saw me, I fought back a whimper seeing the devil's smile that appeared on his lips. He grabbed my hair and pulled me into the room after him and then closed the door and locked it. This was his room. Everyone else slept upstairs but he wanted this room downstairs I suspect so he could catch me off guard. I was snapped out of my musing by being pushed onto the bed. I looked at his face and realized he'd hit his limit. He was going to… NO! I started screaming and crying for him to let me go. I saw Temari and Kankuro's car outside so they have to be here. 'Please be here,' I frantically thought as I was praying for Kami-sama to save me. He had managed to strip off my shirt and was trying to get the saran wrap off when Kankuro and Temari barged in. I cried harder as my father slapped me to shut up. Obviously, he hadn't noticed Kankuro behind him looking ready to kill him because he was surprised when Kankuro pulled him off of me. Temari ran to me and whispered reassurances to me. I saw Kankuro punch my bastard of a father before I passed out. **

**~*~*~Meet you, Hold you, Kiss you, Love you~*~*~**

**As I slowly woke up, I questioned my mind why I was asleep. Then, what had happened before I passed out flashed before my eyes and I shot up in my bed with a cry. Kankuro ran into the room and sat beside me, holding me as I started sobbing. He rubbed my back and whispered to me, "Don't worry, Gaara, he's gone. He was arrested. The police are downstairs right now but we won't let them talk to you unless you say okay. Don't worry. He won't ever hurt you again." Temari quietly walked in and sat on my other side. Before I knew it, we were all silently crying for what had happened to me. I hugged them both tighter before tried to calm myself down and stop my crying. Just as I had pulled myself together, there was a knock on the bedroom door. I flinched and Kankuro tightened his arms around me but Temari got up to open the door and let the police in. **

**The man who came in looked a lot like Neji's friend, Sasuke. I guess he noticed how intently I was staring at him because he smiled. I must have looked confused because he laughed and asked, "You must know Sasuke, right?" After I nodded, he added, "Well, I'm his older brother. I'm Officer Itachi Uchiha. It's nice to meet you Gaara Sabuku." I just nodded, and put my back down on Kankuro's chest. Itachi's eyes softened and he squatted down in front of me holding a pad and a pen. **

**"Gaara, I'm just going to ask a few questions. I need to know exactly what your father did to you and if there are any past attempts or similar occurrences." I nodded and took a deep breath. I slightly pulled away from Kankuro and began, "My father blames me for my mother's death. She died giving birth to me and because I wasn't even what he wanted, he hated me all the more. You see, he wanted a boy and having a girl after he lost his wife just made him angry. So, he forced me to act like a boy and treated me like a boy. I," I choked a bit at this part because it hurt, "I have been beaten a good deal of my life. I have scars if you want proof. I've had numerous broken bones. You can even ask Tsunade-san at the hospital because she is my doctor and usually takes care of our family. She wasn't able to say anything because my father always had an excuse ready and never did anything that couldn't look like an accident. Today, I don't know what happened but he had been drinking earlier than usual. As soon as I got home, he yanked me into his bedroom beside the stairs and locked the door behind him. I knew something wasn't right when…" Temari sat down beside me again and wrapped her arms around me as well. Officer Uchiha urged me on silently and I tried to hold back my sobs. "He smiled what I call the devil's smile because he looks so evil when he does it. He started… pulling at my clothes. I wear saran wrap around my chest to hid what's there at school and he was trying to rip it off. I screamed and I cried, hoping Temari and Kankuro were home and I thank Kami-sama they were. My… he slapped me to shut me up but I couldn't. Kankuro pulled him off me and then Temari helped me up. After that, I passed out." **

**Officer Uchiha wrote this down quickly and silently, not making any comments. I noticed his forehead and creased into a frown as he nodded. He looked back at me and said, "This all connects with what you siblings said and I promise we will do everything in our power to keep you safe. I will give you a number for a lawyer that will help you in your case against him. Honestly, I hope this guy is put away and the key is thrown away. For now, thought, we wait for the trial. I will contact you all when I have more news for you. Gaara, I'm sorry you've had to go through something like this at your age. It's just not right." I gave him a slight smile before letting it fall off my face. I just couldn't keep it on right now. When Officer Uchiha stood, he said he would let himself out and he gave us his card and the number for the attorney before leaving. Kankuro and Temari insisted I stay home tomorrow. I just nodded and laid back down to sleep. No dreams came that night. I was too exhausted to dream.**

**~*~*~Meet you, Hold you, Kiss you, Love you~*~*~**

**The next morning, I woke up at the time I usually did but I didn't move. I remember what happened and I had to hold back from bursting into tears again. I headed downstairs, very slowly because I was still wary of my father being around even if my brain reminded me he wasn't. I wouldn't believe he was truly gone until I proved it to myself. When I reached the kitchen, I was feeling slightly more stable. I saw Kankuro sitting at the table eating cereal while Temari was putting away the milk. When they noticed me, both smiled and said good morning. Temari watched me for a minute before saying, "I'm going to stay home with you, Gaara. Kankuro is going to tell the teachers something came up and you and I are not able to come to school. He's also going to get our homework for us, okay?" I nodded, knowing I wouldn't be able to stay home alone even if I wanted to… and I definitely didn't want to. I tried to smile reassuringly at them both but I think that was bust because they were still looking at me concerned. I got up to go back upstairs but Temari told me to sit down while she got me something to eat. I must have looked freaked out because Kankuro reassured me that since… that man wasn't here, I could eat without being worried. I sat down, uncertain if I should but the decision was taken from me when Temari put some pancakes down in front of me. After having eaten very little the day before, I was very hungry and I dug into the pancakes like they would be stolen from me. Honestly, I was afraid they would be. After that, Kankuro kissed my forehead before leaving for school. I went back upstairs and lay down. I was asleep in minutes.**

Author's Note: Did you guys like? Once again, I hope for no flames but please read and review. The next chapter will be mostly in Neji's POV to make of for him not being in this one. Wufei is content from his steak so no flames! Ja ne!


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